Barangay Konoha: Chapter 2

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Sasuke brought the soda bottle towards his mouth and took a swig, enjoying the shock of the cold, fizzy drink hitting his palate. The summer had been sweltering and the heat burned his skin even during his late afternoon patrols.

"Sobrang init, potek! Sasuke ang lapot-lapot ko na!" Naruto whined, squirming by his side under the tarpaulin shade of the sari-sari store. They just finished aiding a senior citizen event and they were glad for the shade the tarp brought even if it did nothing to alleviate the heat.

"Wag kang dumikit sakin, ang lagkit ng pawis mo ungas ka." Sasuke snapped when Naruto's sweaty forearm touched his. "I can't believe we have another of this to do tomorrow."

Naruto was now wiping his face with the cold soda bottle. "Kaya nga pero sana naman di na ganito kainit bukas." He lifted his arms to smell his armpits. "Amoy chakra na ako gaddamnet!"

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The next day was not any more forgiving.

In fact, it was worse.

If yesterday's event was a benefits seminar where around 20 or so geezers joined, today was a free medical event. The amount of people accumulating in the covered court was at least triple the amount from yesterday. The teenagers from the Sangguniang Kabataan headed by Konohamaru and his clique ushered the elders and answered questions while the tanods ensured order and safety.

"I don't understand why Kakashi decides to have these things in the middle of summer." Naruto said, pertaining to the barangay captain-elect. "Pano kung may matandang mahimatay sa init, e ako nga di na makahinga." he added as they sat down on a table on the side, ready to eat their distributed packed lunch.

"Hubarin mo muna kasi yang chaleco mo." Sasuke quickly said, already shoveling a spoonful of rice to his mouth as Naruto shrugged off his tanod vest. His back was already stained dark from the sweat.

"Kung tayo nanlilimahid na, pano pa kaya sina Sakura no?" remarked Naruto, gesturing to the doctors providing service to the elders.

Sasuke's eyes quickly scanned the crowd for a head of pink and quickly spotted the doctor in question. He found her, wearing a long-sleeved doctor's coat over her civilian clothes just like Tsunade and Shizune who were at her either side. She was all smiles just the same and if it weren't for her forehead glistening with sweat, he could've swore everything was well and good. She glanced up as she handed her patient his prescription and saw him looking at her. She flashed him a smile and nodded.

Flustered he was caught, Sasuke shoveled another mouthful of rice to his mouth, alluding the heat he felt rising to his cheeks as being caused by the weather.

The crowd started to disperse as the sun started to set. Sakura was seeing the last of the patients waiting for their turn on her queue while the rest of the staff were in the last moments of egress. The two other doctors had left early as they have another medical mission tomorrow at the neighboring barangay. Sakura was just glad that her tomorrow is her free day that she didn't mind taking the rest of the patients.

Evening crept in when she said goodbye to her last patient, earning a "Salamat mam Sakura." and a toothy smile from an ancient-looking little lady. She laced her fingers together and brought them above her head, relishing the relief the stretch gave her.

"That took you long enough."

Sakura moved her head to where the voice came from and found Sasuke sitting on the bleachers. She looked around the vicinity and saw that everything had already been tidied and everyone gone, leaving the two of them the only people in the covered court.

"Asan na silang lahat?" she asked, putting her things in her bag. She was able to put on a quick smile when she saw him looking at her earlier, but now was different. The emptiness of the place weighed on her just like the balmy evening air.

"Nauna na. Hanggang alas-kwatro lang naman talaga yung event." he came, expertly dismantling the folding chair and table that was her office for the day.

"Ah, okay." she replied as she shrugged out of her doctor's coat. "Dapat di ka na naghintay, Sasuke-kun."

He cocked his head to the now-folded table and chair he was carrying. "Ibabalik ko pa to sa barangay." Sasuke wouldn't dare admit that he offered to stay behind to keep watch on her. And somebody really needed to bring the table and chair back, so…

Sakura pulled the corners of her lip in a tight smile as she nodded. Of course he wouldn't stay behind to wait for her, as much as she wanted to hear from him. She had made the rookie mistake of confessing her feelings for him on the evening he was bound to leave for law school in Oto. And they never had the chance to talk about it while he was away. She was embarassed enough not to be able to elicit a sort of response from him from her confession. Thay was why Sakura made sure that Naruto was always there when they video called and her messages were always sent in their group chat. He also never asked her about it anyway, even after he came back. Not that they really had a chance to, given his eventual duties as a tanod and her as barangay doctor.

"I could've taken that back, babalik pa rin naman ako sa health center." she finally replied, motioning to the small box of leftover vitamins she was giving away earlier.

Sasuke brushed off her reply with a "Hn." and started walking. Sakura followed suit, finding her pace next to him.

She was content to at least end the day walking next to him in the quiet of the summer evening.

"Kumusta ka na?" his voice cut the silence of them walking. Sakura turned to look and saw him looking straight ahead. The twitch under his eyes gave away that he was trying not to look at her.

"Okay naman, madaming ginagawa as you can see." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. It wasn't like Sasuke to be the first one to break the silence and she could tell he was trying to make conversation. She told her heart, now beating fast, not to have any high hopes because this was Uchiha Sasuke they were talking about. If he had plans to pick up the conversation from her confession years ago then he would've done so already and now wasn't exactly a conducive time nor place to do such. They were both tired and sweat-sticky, doing their last errand of the day. "Wag kang umasa, girl." she told herself inwardly.

"You should take care of yourself more." he told her.

"I am, kaya nga naka-off ako bukas." she stopped to open the door of the health center with her key. She ushered Sasuke in who used the connecting door of the center to go into the barangay hall to deposit the folding table and chair. "Mamamalengke ako bukas at magluluto. It's about time I have a proper home-cooked meal, kung hindi sasabihan ako ng mga pasyente na impokrita ako." she continued, amusement evident in the lilt of her voice as she recalls how she always advised her patients to eat proper food.

She whirled around after making sure that the supply cabinet was locked and almost fell back when she collided with Sasuke's chest, its owner now standing beside her. She was thankful for the bad lighting of the center that hid the blush that crept on her cheeks as she automatically looked up to Sasuke's face. It was unfair how he looked perfect even in his tired state and this bad lighting.

Her thoughts were interrupted when he tapped her forehead with his middle and index finger.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." he said before turning to take his leave.

Sakura took her hand to her forehead. "What was that?" she murmured to herself as she watched Sasuke's retreating back. Warmth assaulted her senses once more as a smile began to form on her lips. She didn't need to know now, she thought, replaying his words in her head.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Sasuke wasn't the type to go back on his words.